Wait, what? Where?

Yeah, I'm just zigging and zagging all over the place, waiting for things to be less frigid in Oregon. To quote Lou, "It was cold as hell last night." No thanks.

I'm back at the coast again. Point Mugu State Park, to be exact. Thornhill Broome campground, to be even more exact. If I had a tent I could pitch it right on the beach. I don't, so I just sit in the doorway of the Rolling Steel Tent and watch the surf and sunset as I eat my dinner. I guess I could put on some Beach Boys music.

Chrome browser users can reduce data usage

If your web usage is always in danger of bumping up against your data limit, Chrome's Data Saver feature might help.

It's already part of the Android and iOS versions of Chrome. And it's an extension for the computer version. After it's activated it produces a graph of your data savings.

It works by rerouting your web traffic through Google's server, where it's compressed to various degrees.

How Data Saver works
When you're using Data Saver, Google's servers reduce the amount of data that gets downloaded when you visit a webpage. How much data gets saved depends on the type of content on the page. Secure pages (pages that start with https) and incognito pages load without any data savings.
With Data Saver turned on:

• Some websites might not be able to accurately determine your location

• Some images might look a little fuzzy

• Internal websites, such as your company’s intranet sites, might not load

• Sites that your mobile carrier uses to authenticate and bill you might behave unexpectedly. For example, you might have trouble logging in to your mobile phone provider's website.

It also speeds up your web surfing and filters out malware and phishing attacks. The question is whether Google mines your data as it passes through their servers. I imagine they aren't giving us something for nothing. Data Saver can be easily turned off, though.

I want this!

Ever since I started living out of a van I've had an idea for a rooftop warm water and shower gadget. Cap off a length of black ABS pipe, put a fill cap on the top, a spout on one end and an air valve on the other.

Well, this guy had pretty much the same idea, only he has taken in to the production and marketing stage.

This guy's good at inventing and engineering, but he's really awful as a video presenter

The difference is his is made of aluminum. He started with ABS, but learned it had disadvantages. I'm glad he did all the trial and error.

I know a lot of van dwellers who'd love to have a Road Shower, but the $300 price will scare most of us away. How badly do I want an easier way to wash up? How much of my irreplaceable life would I spend with the water heating and bathing method I use now? I don't know. I'd jump on it for, say, $150. Possibly $200. Of course, $300 would be a huge bargain if it included the bikini babe in the video.

Nose picker

Sandy Flat Campground, Kern River, California

No, if one is in Bishop, with the intention of going to Oregon, it makes no sense to go south to the Kern River.

Sense is overrated.

The weather and scenery are better than Bishop, though.

I hadn't been in this area in several decades. My first time was in 1977. I had just moved to Los Angeles. A girl I was sort of dating knew a guy who was putting in his required flight time on a single-engine plane. He was flying from Van Nuys to Kernville and back and she snagged a ride for us. He piloted, we made out in the back. I didn't see much on the ground other than the Kernville airstrip.

I returned in '81 or '82 for a camping trip with some coworkers. We took a very mellow raft ride. The big excitement was the Hell's Angels who'd come to party in Kernville. VROOM-VROOM-VROOM! WOOOOOOOO!!! VROOM-VROOM!

Sandy Flat Campground is much quieter. It's a weekday, so the place is empty except for the camp host, his dog, and me. Rafters and kayakers use the place for river access.  I haven't found the sandy and flat part yet.

The campground is run for the Forest Service by a concessionaire. So the nightly rate ($22) is rather high. But, hey, that's the norm in California. My interagency senior pass gets me half off.

I'll be here a few days, then I'll head north. If I don't get distracted and wander some more.

Chet does a little spelunking

Cleanliness is next to oddliness

If you can't get to laundromats (or just hate them) and you have room in your van, I guess this gizmo is better than shaking your clothing in a 5-gallon bucket or beating them against a rock.

Hmmm, sometimes the video doesn't show up. Technology.

Patience

Another day of chilly howling wind here in Bishop. It means spending most of my time inside the Rolling Steel Tent, door closed, windows up, vent down.

Last night I was going over maps and forecasts, trying to decide whether to hang tight here or find someplace more commodious. How much more do I bounce around this corner of the country before heading to Oregon? If I were to zig or zag, how far? Go south just to go north again? Burn up how much gas just to avoid some discomfort and boredom?

I slept on it.

I checked the local forecast again this morning. It predicts warmer, less windy conditions starting tomorrow. Okay. I can wait another day before making any travel plans. Meanwhile, I have reading to do.

Ya gotta have grit

I keep the side door of the Rolling Steel Tent open whenever weather allows, like today. Ah, fresh air!

But then a sudden van-rocking blast of dirt-laden wind blew past before I could shut the door. Maybe it was a dust devil, since I'm on Casa Diablo Road. I think I'll be cleaning grit out of my stuff for some time to come. Yay nature.

Sheesh

Because if you're going to leave your trash, you don't want it blowing all over the place.

Small mystery solved

Several times since I arrived at my current boondocking site, a guy about my age has ridden by on a mountain bike with old style wire panniers. Down a trail, around the other side of a rock outcropping. So I followed his tracks to see what there was out that way.

Ah-ha. He has a camp set up under a rock overhang. No tent, just a sleeping bag, provisions and a few other things. Simple. Old school.

I didn't take a photo. I figured he wanted his privacy to be kept. I just gave a little wave and kept walking.

The devil is in the house

The thin dark green line in the distance is Bishop, California

A few miles north of Bishop, California, is an area geologists call the Bishop Tuff and the BLM calls the Volcanic Tablelands. One of the routes into the area is named Casa Diablo Road. That's where I'm camped now. Being here gives me an excuse to use one my favorite terms: pyroclastic flow. Oh, sure, lava gets all the fame, but pyroclastic flow has a greater likelihood of killing you.

I thought I would be here by myself, but, surprise, a friend happens to be camped across the road. That's nice.

One drawback of this particular spot is that the solar panel falls into shadow late in the day. I think that's the devil's way of saying, "Hey, get off my lawn!"

The toilet report

Yes, I'm aware this is a strange topic, but I saw two unusual things recently. And you know how much I like the unusual.

First up is this toilet stall at the Lake Mead visitor center. Floor-to-ceiling windows? I give it a thumbs up. I think. Natural light is good.

Next are the vault toilets at Tuttle Creek campground, near Lone Pine. At most campgrounds the toilet paper rolls are locked up. Not here. They must trust people not to steal the TP. Or a lock thief has been through here.

Local flora

Sierra storm clouds